PORTLAND, Ore. — When something breaks, most of us reach for our wallets, ready to order a replacement on Amazon. But volunteers at Repair PDX reach for their toolboxes instead. And for the community gathering in a Portland basement once a month, it's reason to celebrate.

From the basement of the Leaven Community Common House, something extraordinary unfolds every few weeks. Tables are arranged, tools are unpacked, and volunteers prepare for a gathering where broken isn't the end of the story.

"We are setting up the repair cafe, where volunteers fix people's household stuff for free," said Lauren Gross, who co-founded Repair PDX in 2013.

Every month since, it's been a chance to fix the fixable — saving perfectly good items from the landfill.

"The energy in the room is just outrageous,"

See Full Page